Agitator for drink mixers



April 1 0, 1951 1.. MYERS AGITATOR FOR DRINK MIXERS Filed Dec. 31, 1947Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AGITATOR FOR DRINKMIXERS Louis Myers, Rockford, Ill.

Application December 31, 1947, Serial No. 795,005

3 Claims. (Cl. 259-134) porting standard and provided with a pair ofagitators on the lower end of a depending shaft adapted to extend intothe receptacle containing the liquid or material to be mixed, theagitators become bent or broken and must be replaced, or, in. someinstances, it is desired to use agitators of different contours oragitating efiiciency.

The main object of the invention is to provide a unit embodying a pairof agitators which are demountably secured on the lower end of thedepending shaft for replacement.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the detaileddescription.

The invention consists of several novel features hereinafter set forth,and more definitely by the claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of the drink mixer provided withagitators embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the agitator unit on the shaft,the shaft being shown in elevation;

Figures is a perspective of the agitator unit; and

Figure 4 is a detail section of the sleevebefore the agitators have beensecured thereon.

The invention is exemplified in connection with a drink mixer whichcomprises a supporting standard If), an electric motor I I mounted onthe upper end of the standard, and a depending shaft I2, on the lowerend of which the agitator-unit is mounted. Shaft l2, for mechanicalstability. is usually tapered from the motor to the agitator.

Spaced from its lower end, the shaft I2 is provided with an annularshoulder M which functions as an abutment for the agitator unit. Belowshoulder M the shaft is of reduced diameter to its lower end to form acylindrical stem 15, which is adapted to extend through the agitatorunit. The lower portion of the shaft has a male screw thread l6 cuttherein.

The agitator unit comprises a sleeve l8, the upper end of which abutsagainst the downwardly facing shoulder M on shaft I2. 'The bore 19 iscylindrical and fits snugly around the cylindrical stem to support thesleeve in true dynamic balance on the shaft. At its lower end, the boreI9 is formed with a female screw thread 20 which fits the screw thread15 on stem I 5.

The agitator-unit comprises an upper agitator element 22. and a loweragitator element 28. Agitator element 22 comprises a hub 23 and fiatvanes 24 and is fixedly secured on an upwardly facing shoulder 2 I onsleeve I8 by swaging or upsetting the metal in the upper end of thesleeve against the surrounding portion of hub 23, as illustrated at 26.The lower agitator element 28 includes a hub 29 and helical vanes 30 andis fixedly secured on a downwardly facing shoulder on sleeve IB byswaging or upsetting the lower end of said sleeve against thesurrounding portion of hub 29, as at 32. Sleeve i8 is preferably taperedin conformity with the taper on shaft l2.

In fabricating the agitator-unit, the end portions of sleeve l'8 betweenshoulders 2| and 21 and the ends of the sleeve are left straight andpassed through the central openings in the hubs of elements 22 and 28,respectively, and the metal at both ends of the sleeve is then upset orswaged against or to overlap the surrounding hubs of the upper and lowerelements, respectively, and thereby said elements are fixedly secured tothe sleeve to provide a unitary agitator device which can be demountablyattached tothe shaft This swaging is performed so that the ends. of thesleeve will be substantially flush with the elements. g

In fabricating the sleeve, its bore I9 is formed of a diameter whichcorresponds to the inner diameter of screw thread 20 and screw thread ISon stem l5. The bore I9 is then broached or machined to correspond tothe outer diameter of the screw threads 20 and It. This permits thesleeve l8 to be slipped over the stem until the upper end of screwthread 20 engages the lower end of screw thread It and the agitator unitto be screwed onto the agitator shaft, with a close fit between the stemI5 and the sleeve for true alignment of the shaft and sleeve and formaintaining an accurate dynamic balance of the agitator.

In mounting the agitator unit on'the shaft, the sleeve I8 is slippedaround the stem l5 until the lower end of screw thread It engages theupper end of screw thread 20 in the sleeve and then rotated on the shaftuntil the upper end of the sleeve is firmly seated on the shoulder M ofshaft l2. Thread l6 terminates a short distance above the screw 20 toinsure the seating of the upper end of the agitator unit on the shoulder14 of shaft l2. As a result of this construction, the agitator unit willbe accurately co-axial with the stem I5 and shaft l2.

In the event of breakage of one of the elements the unit can be readilyreplaced. In practice the agitator elements have vanes of differentcontour for variation in the agitation of the material in differentzones in the receptacle, and it is sometimes desirable to substituteelements of different contour. The invention readily permits suchsubstitution.

The invention exemplifies a mixer which includes a depending shaft andan agitator-unit which can be readily mounted on the shaft and readilyremoved therefrom for replacement. It also exemplifies a demountableagitator unit which will be accurately centered on the axis of thedepending shaft, so that it will not cause unbalanced stresses on theagitator shaft during high-speed operation.

The invention is not to be understood as limited to the detailsdescribed, since these may be modified within the scope of the appendedclaims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 7

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: a depending drivenshaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, anintegral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upperportion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery andits lower portion with a screw thread; an elongated onepiece sleevehaving a bore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straightcylindrical upper portion closely fitting the straight cylindricalperiphery on the stem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem anda screw thread in its lower portion fitting the screw thread on thestem, and provided with an integral annular shoulder adjacent each ofits ends; and agitator elements seated against the shoulders,respectively and fixedly secured on the shoulders by integral upsetportions of the sleeve.

2. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: 9. depending drivenshaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, anintegral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upperportion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery andits lower portion with a screw thread having its outer diametercorresponding to said periphery; an elongated one-piece sleeve having abore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straight cylindricalupper portion closely fitting the straight cylindrical periphery on thestem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem and a screw threadin its lower portion fitting the screw thread on the stem, and providedwith an integral annular shoulder adjacent each of its ends; andagitator elements seated, against the shoulders respectively and fixedlysecured on the shoulders by integral upset portions of the sleeve.

3. An agitator device for drink mixers comprising: a depending drivenshaft provided with an integral shoulder spaced from its lower end, anintegral stem of reduced diameter below the shoulder, having its upperportion provided with an elongated straight cylindrical periphery andits lower portion with a screw thread; an elongated one-piece sleevehaving a bore extending longitudinally therethrough with a straightcylindrical upper portion closely fitting the straight cylindricalperiphery on the stem for accurate coaxiality of the sleeve and stem anda screw thread in its lower portion fitting the screw thread on thestem, and provided with an integral annular shoulder adjacent each ofits ends; and agitator elements seated against the shoulders,respectively and fixedly secured on the shoulder by integral upsetportions of the sleeve, the upper end of the sleeve being substantiallyflush with the upper face of the upper agitator and the lower face ofthe lower agitator being substantially flush with the lower end of thesleeve.

LOUIS MYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

